Dummy piano



- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI JOHN CASEY, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

DUMMY PIANO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 315,724, dated April 14, 1885.

Application filed February 24, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN GAsEY, of Chelsea, in the county of Suffolk, of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Dummy Pianos; and I do hereby declare the same to be described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is a top view, and Fig. 2 a trans verse section, of a dummy piano provided with my invention, the cover of the case being shown as turned entirely back to uncover the keys. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through the keys and their adjustable fulcrum or bearing bar. Fig. 4 is an end view of the piano case as closed.

The nature of my invention is defined in the claims hereinafter presented.

In the said drawings, A A A, 820., and B B B, &c., denote a series of keys, arranged like those of an ordinary piano-forte. To the lower edge of each key, at the rear part of the key, a flat metallic spring, 0, is fastened by two headed screws, a I), going through it and screwed upward into the key. The rearmost of such screws is arranged at a short distance viz. about three-fourths of an inchfrom the rear end of the key, and about one inch from the rear end of the spring, the part of the spring that extends in rear of the rearmost screw being curved downward a little, as represented. Each key has its spring 0 connected to the bottom board, 0, of the case D by a screw, (Z, that goes down through the spring near its rear end and screws into the board. Near its middle the free or curved part of the spring rests on the bar E, arranged within a groove, 0, that is made in the bottom of the case transversely of the keys, such groove being wider than the bar. The bar is held within the groove by clamp-screws f, arranged near its ends. Each of the said screwsf goes through a short slot, 9, made in the bottom board, 0. The screw also goes through a metallic washer, h, that is arranged against the bottom board or that of a recess, z, therein. The slots 9 extend lengthwise of the keys under which they may be, in order to enable the fulcrum-bar E to be moved transversely of it, and adjusted nearer to or farther from the ends of the keys, as occasion may require.

(No model.)

A screw, 7;, to limit the rise of the key, goes upward through a hole, Z, in the bottom board and screws into the key. By moving the fulcrum-bar E nearer to or farther from the rear ends of the spring we can vary the touch of the keys, or, in other words, increase or diminish the power of the springs to throw up the keys. That of each key, however, may be varied by either screwing down or up the screw 66 of its spring, the rise of the key being determined by the screw 70 of such key. The case D has its cover G formed or constructed in sections m, a, and .0, which are hinged together where they abut against each other at their edges,the hinges being shown at p 1), 8:0. The rearmost section is right an gular in transverse section, its vertical part q extending down in rear of the case, and being hinged to the bottom board of such case, the case at its rear being open.

From the above it will be seen that the median section can be folded back upon the rear section, and the forward section be at the same time turned down upon the median section, so to expose the keys for being played on by a performer. The whole cover can be turned backward to enable a person to readily gain access to the screws (1 with a screw-driver.

Adummy piano is an instrument unprovided with strings and hammers to be actuated by the keys, the instrument being merely for use in exercising the fingers of a performer.

I claim in a dummy piano 1. The combination of the fulcrum-bar E. extending upward from the bottom board of the case, with the keys, and with the springs 0, fixed to such keys and extending there from across the fulcrum-bar, and secured to the bottom board of the case by headed screws going through such springs and screwed into the said board, all being substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the fulcrum-bar E, adjustable laterally of it, as described, and extending upward from the bottom board of the case, with the keys, and with the springs G, fixed to such keys and extending there from across the fulcrum-bar, and secured to the bottom board of the case by headed screws going through such springs and screwed into the said board, all being substantially as set forth.

KOO

. the bottom board of the ease, as set forth, with 3. The combination of the screws 7;, to limit I the rise of the keys, and applied to them and such board, the fulcrum-bar E, applied thereto, and with the keys provided with springs to extend from them across and upon the fulcrum-bar, and connected with the bottom board by screws, all being substantially as represented.

4. The case, open at its rear, in combination with its cover thereof constructed in sections, and hinged to each other, and having the rearmost one to project down in rear of the opening at the rear of the ease, and hinged to the bottom of such case, as set forth. 

